Only an earlier Rotary, Suzuki's calamitous
RE5 or Hercules' own, but rather wimpish Wankel, can prepare you for a ride on
the Norton Rotary. While its controls are virtually the same as those of any
conventionally-engined bike, the manner in which it responds to them is most
certainly not. From cold, the big (and ugly) 38mm SU constant vacuum carbs
require a decent wodge of choke, courtesy of the dash-mounted knob, and the
engine runs a tad rough until it's had a few minutes to warm up.
Although rough in the case of the Wankel never means
that it oscillates in an intemperate fashion, it just means it sounds a bit
weird - and splutters. When you've got beyond that, tickover settles down to an
impressive 500rpm or so, and after you've utilised the light and extremely
progressive multiplate clutch to snick into bottom gear, you can pull away
cleanly just 500rpm further up the chimney. Suspicions that the two-stroke
analogies of the rotary principle might mean a narrow powerband are quickly
dispelled, for this package pulls from around 1500rpm and 20mph in top gear,
almost right up to its 9000rpm maximum power point. At least in its top-of
the-range 9:1 compression trim.
The liquid-cooled version I rode (not the air-cooled
one in the pix), was burdened with a 500lb-weight of police-spec fairing and
other law enforcement encumbrances which prevented it from travelling beyond
120mph - or at least without feeling distinctly wobbly. But with an indicated
17mph per 1000rpm in top, and 90mph at a leisurely 6000rpm on the same cog (and
we're talking police calibrated speedo here), I assume that an ultimate velocity
of 140mph is not beyond the bounds of reason. And considering that the Wankel
displaces 588cc, that makes it a very nippy middleweight twin, no?!
The bounds of reason are, thankfully, fettered by an electronic rev-limiter
which restores sanity at 10,000rpm and an electronic CDI ignition fed by two
12-volt coils. A feature of the ignition is an electronic retard unit
incorporating an electronic temperature sensor to optimise combustion
efficiency. This is further enhanced by the engine's cooling system which draws
filtered air through the frame and fins to the bowels of the engine before it
reaches the SUs. Except on the liquid-cooled engines, where it doesn't.
In operation, of course, the engine is extremely
smooth and mechanically quiet - hence the need for the rev limiter. In these
respects riding the rotor-cycle is really an uncannily different experience, and
ultimately a very pleasant one, for the exhaust note compensates for unfamiliar
engine feedback with a rewardingly fulsome roar - although even that is like
nothing else I can readily bestow cliches on.
With only an afternoon on the bike, I clearly can't report comprehensively on
the riding experience, but despite the Plod-like accoutrements, and stiffish
suspension and seat, I can confirm that it's a supremely fatigue-free deal.
Unfortunately I did have some problems with the handling, though.
On slowish corners I found understeer up to the apex
of the bend quickly giving way to oversteer thereafter. This was a bit
disconcerting, and required a certain mental preparation when negotiating tight
twisties, but the problem disappeared beyond about 55/60mph when the steering
became pretty neutral, although erring slightly to oversteer as per the current
fashion. Some of this might be down to the heavy fairing; Dave Evans told me
that spacers of 1 to 1.75in are inserted above the fork springs to suit personal
tastes, as rake and trail measurements of 28°mm/127mm respectively, should make
for the aforementioned neutrality in almost all conditions.
Only once did untoward zeal get me into a
bum-clenching situation, and that was when I went into what looked like a long
sweeper but tightened suddenly into something else. Shutting off the power on
the Norton doesn't have the same effect as a four-stroke - there's a lot less
engine braking even when it may seem prudent to use it, but the oversteer meant
I had to do something to avoid oncoming traffic, and that something was a dab on
the brakes; fortunately Brembo country is familiar country, and a slight snake
at the rear end
out of trouble. Lever pressure is fairly minimal and sensitivity fairly good,
but the rear brake seemed to be suffering from that stodgy, rather inert feeling
that you sometimes get with the Italian retardants. Tyres on my test bike were
Avon Super Venoms, 120/90 rear and 100/80 x 18, front, and proved suitably
sticky even in patchy, wet 'n' dry conditions. It wasn't until I voiced my
concern on the handling and phoned Mr Denniss to check tyre pressures that I
discovered the front cover was running 7psi below par, which probably explains
everything.
Notwithstanding this one and only caveat, my initial
impression of the liquid-cooled rotor-bike is entirely favourable. A few rough
edges perhaps, most of them hopefully on the list posted in the management
suite, but like Ducati and BMW, here is a machine which by virtue of
uncompromised and distinctly different engine design, has a spirit and a
character that is truly unique. And as those equally venerable German and
Italian marques have proven, that sells bikes. Expensive
Source Motorcycle International 1988
Motorcyclespecs.co.za Terms of Use: All original, copyrighted material like all specification sheets and some of the articles may not be copied, cut and pasted,
published or otherwise reproduced in any way in any medium, which means, don’t post this on another website. If you want somebody else to see this, send, share or tweet a link or post a link to this page. Some country's motorcycle specifications
can be different to motorcyclespecs.co.za. Confirm with your motorcycle dealer before ordering any parts or spares. Any correction or more information on these motorcycles will kindly be appreciated. Any objections to sourced articles
or photos placed on motorcyclespecs.co.za will be removed upon request. Contact PolicyLinks